15:1 Sometime later Absalom supplied himself with a chariot and horses and fifty men who ran before him. 15:2 Now Absalom used to get up early and stand beside the road that went to the city gate. Whenever anyone came by who had a complaint to bring to the king for arbitration, Absalom would call out to him saying, “What city are you from?” He would answer, “I¹ am from one of the tribes of Israel.” 15:3 Absalom would then say to him, “Look, your claims are legitimate and appropriate.² But there is no representative of the king who will listen to you.” 15:4 Absalom would then say, “If only they would make me³ a judge in the land! Then everyone who had a judicial complaint⁴ could come to me and I would render justice for him.”

15:5 It was also the case that when someone approached to pay respect to him, he would extend his hand and embrace him and kiss him. 15:6 Absalom acted in this way toward everyone in Israel who would come to the king for justice. By so doing Absalom stole the heart of the citizens of Israel.

15:7 After four⁵ years Absalom said to the king, “Let me go now to repay my vow that I vowed to the LORD while I was in Hebron. 15:8 For I vowed a vow when I was living in Geshur of Aram saying, ‘If the LORD enables me to return to Jerusalem I will serve the LORD.’” 15:9 The king replied to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron.

15:10 Then Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel saying, “When you hear the sound of the horn, you may conclude⁶ that Absalom rules in Hebron.” 15:11 Now two hundred men had gone with Absalom from Jerusalem, having been invited and going along naively. They were unaware of everything. 15:12 Then while he was offering sacrifices, Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s advisor, to come from his city of Giloh. The conspiracy was gaining momentum, and the people were increasingly siding with Absalom.

15:13 Then a messenger approached David saying, “The heart of the men of Israel is with Absalom!”

15:14 So David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, “Come on! Let’s flee! Otherwise there will be no deliverance from Absalom! Go quickly, lest he swiftly overtake us and thrust disaster on us and strike the city with the sword.”

15:15 The king’s servants replied to the king, “We will do whatever our lord the king decides.”⁷

15:16 So the king and all his house went forth on foot. But the king left ten women who were concubines to attend to the palace. 15:17 The king and all the people went out by foot, pausing⁸ at a location⁹ some distance away. 15:18 Then all his servants were crossing by him, along with all the Kerethites, all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites—some six hundred men who had come on foot from Gath. They were crossing before the king.

15:19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you come with us? Return and stay with the other¹⁰ king. For you are a foreigner and an exile from your own country¹¹ as well. 15:20 It seems like your arrival was just yesterday. Today should I make you wander around by going with us? I go where I go. But as for you, return and take your brethren with you. May true loyal-love¹² be with you!”

15:21 But Ittai replied to the king, “As the LORD lives and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king is, whether for death or for life, there I will be as well!” 15:22 So David said to Ittai, “Go then; cross over.” So Ittai the Gittite crossed over, along with all his men and all the children who were with him.

15:23 But all the land was weeping loudly¹³ as all the people were crossing over. Then the king was crossing over the wadi Kidron, and all the people were crossing over by the way that leads to the desert. 15:24 Zadok and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. When they positioned the ark of God, Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished crossing over from the city.

15:25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the LORD’s sight he will bring me back and enable me to see both it and his dwelling place again. 15:26 However, if he should say, ‘I do not take pleasure in you, then may he do with me as is appropriate in his sight.’”

15:27 The king said to Zadok the priest, “Are you a seer?¹⁴ Return to the city in peace, along with Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan the son of Abiathar—your two sons with you. 15:28 Look, I will be waiting at the fords of the desert until word from you reaches me.” 15:29 So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and remained there.

15:30 But David was going on up the mount of Olives, weeping as he went with his head covered and his feet bare. All the people who were with him also had their heads covered. As they went up, they were weeping. 15:31 Now David¹⁵ had been informed saying, “Ahithophel has sided with the conspirators who are with Absalom. So David prayed,¹⁶ “Turn to foolishness the counsel of Ahithophel, O LORD!”

15:32 When David came to the top, where he used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite met him with his garments torn and dirt on his head. 15:33 David said to him, “If you cross over with me you will be a burden to me. 15:34 But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king! Previously I was your father’s servant, and now I will be your servant,’ you will be able to frustrate the counsel of Ahithophel. 15:35 Zadok and Abiathar the priests will be there with you, won’t they? Everything that you hear in the king’s palace you will relate to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 15:36 Furthermore, their two sons are there with them, Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. Everything that you hear you will send to me through them.”¹⁷

15:37 So David’s friend Hushai went to the city, and Absalom went on to enter Jerusalem.